Durham N.H.- The college basketball season tips off in just a few days. On Tuesday, Nov 6 the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Wildcats season tips off when they play against the University of New England (UNE) Nor’easters in Lundholm Gymnasium at 6 p.m.
This season projects to be a competitive and entertaining year for a healthy and energized Wildcats team. UNH has an ideal combination of youth and experience which gives them tons of upside. The Wildcats have a loaded conference and non-conference schedule. Let’s analyze the most important games in UNH’s upcoming season.
@ Colorado State: 11/15 8:30 PM:
One of the Wildcats most challenging non-conference games is against Colorado State. The Rams are part of the well-respected Mountain West conference and are coming off an impressive 20-12 season. Which slated CSU 4th in the conference. This game will be a massive test for the Wildcats and will help the team build experience early on in the season. Having a tough non-conference schedule will benefit the Wildcats during conference play. Furthermore, this game is of special importance for Junior Clara Gomez. Who spent her first two seasons at Colorado State before transferring to UNH this year.
@ UNLV: 11/18 5:00 PM:
Following the Colorado State game UNH will complete their west coast road trip when they face UNLV. The Rebels also play in the Mountain West conference. Last season UNLV posted a stellar 31-3 record securing their second straight March Madness appearance in the process. UNLV projects to be UNH’s most challenging opponent of the year. This game paired with the Colorado State game will prepare UNH for conference play. Coach Kelsey Hogan expects this road trip to be a great experience and bring the team closer together.
Vs Maine: 1/11 6:00 PM:
The border battle against top rival UMaine is also one of the most important and anticipated games of the year. In recent years the Black Bears have been one of the best teams in the conference. They finished 3rd in the America East last year and have had two tournament appearances since 2018. Additionally, Maine was ranked 2nd in the preseason poll. These factors add to the competitiveness and importance of this matchup. As UNH aims to rise up the conference, beating a talented and experienced Maine team would be incredible.
Vs Vermont 2/15 6:00 PM:
Another top team in the Conference is Vermont. In recent years UVM has risen to the top of the America East. Last year they won the conference with a 25-7 record including an absurd 14-2 conference record earning an NCAA tournament appearance in the process. As a result, UVM was the top-ranked team in the preseason poll. UVM’s experience and talent make them one of the hardest conference opponents. Coach Hogan views Vermont’s success and preseason ranking as a motivator. If UNH can pull off an upset they could surge up the standings. Furthermore, this game comes late in the season making it ultra important for seeding and momentum heading into the conference playoffs.
Vs Binghamton 3/2 1:00 PM:
Binghamton is a team on the rise; they finished 6th place this year but came in 4th in the pre-season poll. Similar to UNH, Binghamton is a young and exciting team. As a result, this game projects to be both competitive and entertaining. This game is particularly important because it’s the final regular season game and senior day. The Wildcats will honor their four seniors, Paige Cote, Adara Gorman, Bella Stuart, and Belen Morales Lopez. Since it’s the last game of the season it will likely have strong seeding implications and finalize the Wildcats place in the conference.
Catch tonight’s game at Lundholm Gymnasium or on ESPN+ as the Wildcats look to start their season 1-0.
